Archery has been with us for centuries. In the last quarter century, however, archery hunting through special archery seasons bring out bow hunters in abundance. The same is true for the compound archery bow, long bow, and even the cross bow. In order to polish their skills, these hunters practice throughout the year. Archery ranges are set up for tournaments in which a bullet head type point is employed. Seldom are the tournaments frequented by bow hunters with their broad head and bodkin-type points.
Indeed, one of the problems with the present straw or foam filled target is that a cross bow bolt will penetrate it and shred it badly. Alternatively, with a broad head or bodkin-type point on an archery bow of the compound type, the point will penetrate the target to a depth which makes it very difficult to dislodge, and which will eat the target at a great rate. Moreover, a hunting point loses its cutting edge after three to six shots into most conventional targets.
When the hunter practices with a target point, however, he may be shooting two or three inches off the mark from where he would be striking with the identical sight setting with his hunting point. There is an aerodynamic effect imparted to the arrow as well as the bolt by the hunting point. The action is to a degree akin to planing. As a result of the hunting point, the setting for target practice with a target point and a hunting point are not likely to be the same. What is needed, however, is a target which is durable, lightweight, weather resistant, and most particularly which will resist the penetration of a hunting point, but will not impede removal, whether the point be on an arrow or a bolt from a cross bow. Moreover such a target should be cost effective, sufficiently portable to be moved to storage area from a shooting range, weather resistant, and susceptible of being configured to a wide variety of targets such as a deer, rabbit, wild boar, and the like. The prior art is classified primarily in Class 273, subclasses 181R and 403. Exemplary of the prior art patents are the Morrell U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,084. It is formed of a burlap, and the interior fill is in a polyethylene bag which, in turn, has folded burlap for its interior portion. Also compressed cotton was employed. As will be seen with the present invention, significantly different materials are employed with vastly improved results when using a hunting arrow.
Pate U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,382 issued most recently. It is addressed to a repair kit, however, which stuffs a plurality of thermoplastic ribbon material into the holes on the target. The present invention is not directed to closing the holes in the target, but rather arresting the arrow quickly, and rendering it readily removable. In addition U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,082 to McKenzie relates to a three-dimensional target with the kill zone in a target segment which is primarily formed from a foam. Applicant's target differs in that a fibrous material is employed. Meyer U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,444 discloses a target with a plurality of layers as distinguished from being stuffed with a single fibrous material. Also polyethylene sheeting is employed, which is not used by the applicant. Finally, Olund U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,596 directs itself to a urethane foam cellular rubber as a target back stop, and does not necessarily teach a particular cover.